


i will (wait for you)

by PitchonthePitch



Series: AUgust Soulmate AU's [9]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Meet the Family, Minor Character Death, Sort Of, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, ebb's brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 03:35:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20185600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitchonthePitch/pseuds/PitchonthePitch
Summary: Soulmate AUMatching - you and your soulmate share matching tattoos.An immortal being known as the Crucible is responsible for giving matching tattoos to soulmates.  When Simon gets summoned to receive his tattoo, he's surprised to find the Crucible is nothing like he thought he would be.  He's even more surprised by who he meets on his way out of the magical tattoo parlor.





	i will (wait for you)

Simon sat in a warmly-lit waiting room. There was a TV above his head, playing an old romcom with Meg Ryan. He eyed the coffeemaker on the other side of the room and wondered if he had time to pour himself a cup. He’d been waiting for a good ten minutes now.

A voice pulled him out of his revery. “Simon Snow, the Crucible will be seeing you now.”

Simon looked around for the source of the voice. He found no one. The counter where a receptionist might have sat was empty.

“Um, okay,” he said to the empty room. He got up from his chair and approached the door by the coffeemaker. He hesitated. “Does -- does he mind if I get some coffee first?”

The voice sounded annoyed. “Simon Snow, the Crucible will be seeing you _now.”_

“Oh. Uh, okay. Sorry,” he added. He opened the door. When he looked back, he saw that the waiting room was disappearing behind him. The TV in the corner was gone. The walls were coming apart at the seams. Every color in the room was fading to white. Made sense, he supposed. If the waiting room existed all the time, people would always be dropping by and asking the Crucible to give them their tattoo, instead of waiting until they were summoned at the appropriate time.

The room Simon stepped into looked like a standard tattoo parlor. A voice called out from the backroom that sounded eerily like the voice of the receptionist from the waiting room. “Just a moment! I’m sorting through some paperwork.”

“Take your time,” Simon said. As a general rule, he tried his best to be polite to people that worked in the customer service industry. He thought it was a good rule, especially where magical tattoo artists were involved. If Simon didn’t like the tattoo he got, he could never get it removed. Penny said her brother, Percy, had been rude when he was summoned, and the Crucible gave him a tattoo of an apple with a big old worm in it. Percy had no doubt deserved it; Simon just felt bad for the guy’s soulmate. Poor sucker, through no fault of their own, had to walk around with the world’s worst tattoo. Come to think of it, Percy still hadn’t found his soulmate. Probably because they weren’t eager to show off their tattoo, Simon thought.

“How are you doing today?” the voice called from the back.

“I’m good! Really excited to be here. I’m the first of my friends to get my tattoo.” Agatha had been summoned once. She blithely recounted the story to Simon weeks later. Apparently, she had told the Crucible no thanks. When Simon asked why, she shrugged. “I don’t like needles.”

“I’m glad you’re excited.” A guy stepped out of the back room. He looked like one of those old guys you see riding around on a Harley. He had greying hair and a long beard that curled at the tip. “A lot of people get testy when I summon them. Complain that I interrupted their evening plans, or some nonsense.” He made a big show of rolling his eyes. “I tell them I’m an immortal being; I don’t understand the concept of time, much less your humdrum schedule!” He chortled, like he’d made a really funny joke.

Simon laughed along awkwardly. Trying to be subtle, he looked the guy over. The man didn’t have any tattoos himself, Simon noted with some degree of worry. Didn’t all great tattoo artists like to advertise their work? He wore a plain white t-shirt and a worn pair of jeans. Instead of a biker helmet or a pair of sunglasses, his accessory was a large, leather-bound book he carried with him. It was also named the Crucible, in big sprawling letters across the cover. Simon figured the book held all the paperwork he’d been sorting through.

The Crucible motioned to the lone chair in the middle of the room. “Take a seat! Stay awhile.” He chuckled a bit, probably thinking about the concept of time again. Simon didn’t know. He hoped the Crucible wouldn’t talk to him while he was giving him the tattoo. Simon wasn’t one for exchanging quick wit or banter with other people -- much less with immortal beings. He decided rather quickly that all this guy’s humor would probably go right over his head.

As Simon got seated, the Crucible got straight to work. “Hold out your wrist,” he instructed.

Simon did as he was asked. He smiled, pleased with the spot the Crucible had chosen. “Ebb has always said I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

He was merely thinking out loud. He was surprised when the Crucible answered him. “Ebeneza Petty?” He took out a cloth and started cleaning Simon’s wrist with antiseptic.

“Yeah.” Simon raised a brow at him. “How do you know her? She told me she never got summoned by you.”

“Not yet. I’ll be seeing her later this week. She’s about to meet a lovely wood-nymph.”

Simon hummed. Good for Ebb. She could certainly use the company, since her brother died last spring. She was always so weepy when Simon visited her. He wondered if Ebb and the wood-nymph would fall in love. Some soulmates were romantic; some were platonic. Didn’t really matter, either way, he supposed. Romantic or platonic, your soulmate was your closest connection in life. Once you and your soulmate got your tattoos, you were inextricably tied together. The two of you shared a bond, forever.

Simon couldn’t wait to meet his.

“Ready?” the Crucible asked him. “You’re going to feel a sting.”

“I’m ready,” Simon promised.

The whole process was over pretty quickly. It hurt like hell, but it was worth the pain. His tattoo was a star. Simon loved it.

But he didn’t feel like he thought he would. Something was wrong. “I don’t feel a connection, or anything,” he said. “It just feels like a normal tattoo.”

The Crucible crossed his arms. “And how would you know what a ‘normal tattoo’ feels like, Simon Snow?”

Simon blushed. He may have gotten drunk with Penny one night and decided a tattoo was a great idea. He also may have screamed when he felt the first touch of the needle; and he may have fled the tattoo shop with nothing more than an ink-dot on his arm that he still had to this day. Did the Crucible know about that night? Simon knew the Crucible had records of everybody’s soulmate, but he didn’t know how deep his knowledge ran. Did he have a record of all of Simon’s embarrassing moments?

Maybe the Crucible could sense Simon’s embarrassment, because he took mercy on him. “Your soulmate hasn’t gotten his tattoo yet,” he explained. “You don’t feel a connection because your tattoo has nobody to connect you with.”

“Oh.” Simon couldn’t help the smile that was lighting up his face. _“‘He?’”_

The Crucible blinked. He sputtered, quickly realizing his mistake. “I didn’t say anything. Please pretend I didn’t say anything! You’re supposed to find the bugger on your own. I’m not supposed to help, apart from giving you the matching tattoos.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about your slip.” Simon got up from the seat and started to head out.

The Crucible called after him. “And leave a good review on Yelp!”

The waiting room came back for him. He could’ve sworn he’d only been with the Crucible for a few minutes, but the TV was playing a new romcom. This one had Mila Kunis in it.

A voice called out that sounded suspiciously like the Crucible. “Basilton Grimm Pitch, the Crucible will be seeing you now.”

Simon looked around the room to see who was next. The only person there was a small child. She had dark hair she wore in pigtails and brown skin that turned reddish around her apple cheeks. She was adorable. Also, she was heading past Simon toward the door where the Crucible waited and -- was she holding a cup of coffee? Simon blanched, quickly following behind her.

“Uh,” Simon called into the room.

The Crucible called out from the back. “Just a minute. I’m looking through my records.”

Simon called back in a shaky voice. “You’re, uh… You’re not really going to tattoo this seven-year-old, are you?”

Beside him, the girl looked indignant. “Excuse me, I’m eight and three quarters!”

The Crucible made some confused noises in the backroom. He came out and made wide eyes when he saw the girl. “Mordelia Grimm? Oh, my.” He stroked his beard, looking positively sheepish. “My mistake. I am so sorry, dear, you’re going to have to wait a few more years for your tattoo. I meant to summon your brother.”

She whined. “Why does Basil get to do all the fun stuff?”

“Do you want to see mine?” Simon offered.

She nodded; he showed her his wrist. “Just don’t poke it, please. It still stings a bit.”

She grinned when she saw the star. “Pretty!” She pulled out a phone and took a picture. “I’m posting this pic on Insta. What’s your handle?”

“I don’t -- I don’t have a handle.” What the hell was a handle? Simon felt so old.

She stuck out her tongue. “Lame. Goodbye, Mr. Crucible! I’ll tell my brother you’re looking for him.”

The Crucible waved the idea away with his hands, still looking embarrassed. “No need. I’ll try summoning him again.” Simon walked the girl out to the waiting room. As he left, he heard the Crucible mutter, “I’m getting too old for this job.” Simon chuckled, despite himself. Maybe the concept of time _was_ amusing, in a way. To an immortal being, at least.

He would’ve wanted to make sure the kid got home safe, but from what Agatha had told him about her own summoning, the two of them would both be returned safely home the moment they left the waiting room. So he just said, “Nice meeting you. You shouldn’t be drinking coffee.”

“I only took a sip. It tastes terrible,” she admitted. “Nice meeting you. Good luck finding your soulmate!” She opened the door and left.

He followed shortly behind her. The waiting room disappeared behind him.

Moments after he got home, he felt the change. His tattoo didn’t feel like a normal tattoo anymore. He felt an instant connection with his soulmate. He smiled, touching the star on his wrist. It still stung, but he didn’t care. He felt invincible. He had a love that would last forever.

Now he just needed to find the bugger.


End file.
